Enrollment
349
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lakewood, CO
Mclain Community High School
Federal NCES profile for Mclain Community High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080480006163
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mclain Community High School earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Colorado schools.
- #2 of 22
- schools in Lakewood · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 51.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Mclain Community High School has class sizes smaller than 87% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mclain Community High School ranks #2 of 22 schools in Lakewood, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480006163 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mclain Community High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mclain Community High School
Mclain Community High School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lakewood, Colorado, enrolling 349 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.3:1, Mclain Community High School is leaner than roughly 87% of Colorado schools and 32% under the state's 16.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 51.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 349 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 288 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (45%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 87 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students) and Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students) alongside Mclain Community High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mclain Community High School compares
Mclain Community High School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.3:1 | ▼ 32% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.1% | ▲ 33% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 349 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
349
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 13% in Colorado - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$13,124
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 87 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 47.0%
White 45.0%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.4, Mclain Community High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Mclain Community High School.
$13,124
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 36.9%
Federal 7.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Mclain Community High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mclain Community High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,808
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~349 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mclain Community High School's federal record.
- Compare Mclain Community High School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County School District No. R-1's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Mclain Community High School
How many students attend Mclain Community High School?
Mclain Community High School has 349 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Lakewood, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mclain Community High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mclain Community High School is 11.3:1, which is 32% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mclain Community High School?
51.1% of students at Mclain Community High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mclain Community High School?
The largest demographic group at Mclain Community High School is Hispanic or Latino at 47.0% of enrollment, in Lakewood, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mclain Community High School?
Mclain Community High School has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mclain Community High School rank among schools in Lakewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Mclain Community High School ranks #2 of 22 schools in Lakewood, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lakewood on the city page.
Is Mclain Community High School a good school?
Mclain Community High School earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Colorado schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Mclain Community High School, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students), Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students), and Chatfield High School (1,808 students). See the Jefferson County School District No. R-1 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.